Profit Made and Lost
by Quark.Rom
Summary: One of Quarks many deals goes wrong. Set after the Gateway series of books. My first attempt at Fan Fic plase R
1. Chapter 1

Quark somehow in the space of two months had gone from a simple business man content to look after his bar and to try and turn as large a profit as possible, to a fugitive on a desolate planet. He somehow was also being hunted by the Dominion, the Klingons, the Federation, the Orions and most worrying Ro Lauren the head of DS9 security all at the same time for very different reasons.

Also for all he knew his bar had been repossessed by one of his now many creditors sine the deal had gone wrong. He sometimes liked to think the Dominion had taken over the bar, he liked to laugh on the thought of Jem Hadar acting as waiters, and the more he thought of this the better the idea seemed to him if he could find a way to stop their anger, they wouldnt need food, or pay, or time off. He kept thinking one of the rebel factors must have access to the cloning technology, he even knew some of the rebel leaders since the start of this deal but this deal wasn't a good reference for the future, but the thought of future business deals and future profit were the only things preventing him from going over the edge.

It seemed such a good simple plan, well it was a complex plan but relatively risk free, to finally get his own moon and step up to the next level on the business hierarchy, to finally be someone in the world of Ferengi business. That is all he wanted, latinum and respect for all walks of Ferengi society and maybe a large harem to choose from but was that too much for a hard working Ferengi to ask for. Now here he was being hunted by the largest and most brutal races the alpha and gamma quadrants had to offer, all he needed was the Borg and the Hirogen looking for him and he would really be done for. He knew simply that his old life was gone, and he was also going insane, quickly.

As Quark looked around from the window of his room he saw the planet where he was hiding. All there was to see, was grey. A barren planet supporting only simple plant life and worst of all the planet was so very boring. Apart from his ship there was no break in the landscape, only endless gray sand and grey rocks to the point where it met the grey sky, with the same lack of weather. Two weeks of this endless boredom was making him almost wish one of his countless enemies would finally arrive and finish the job, but only almost he wasn't fully crazy yet.

The worst part was his only company was his Orien dabo girl Trier, this is another reason he was going crazy. She was quiet, controlled and even worse she wouldn't sleep with him, sex or shouting was all he wanted to break the endless waiting. But he kept thinking being here and being hunted and living on this planet was all her fault she could at least have sex with him once before he gets jailed or worse. Why did she keep their relationship professional, she had been working for him for nearly a year and she wouldn't let him within arms reach, and she was fast on her long elegant legs when she needed to be. Oh how he wanted to get near those long elegant legs and more. Not since Jadzia had he wanted a women so bad. Trier and Jadzia were so different but they both made him want them so much, maybe it was the chase of an unattainable object that made him want them both so much.

As he walked out of his room and looked around his very fine ship, which he could also blame for this disaster, he spotted Trier walking away from him as fast as possible. This had been their only contact for three days, he walked into a room she walked out, they hadn't exchanged a single word since Quark spent the best part of two hours shouting and screaming that this whole situation was all her fault and she was never going to get to the divine treasury as she threw away the chances for profit and ignored the rules of acquisition, many in the last two months but he had forgotten the rule he should always remember "Women and business do not mix" he had forgotten this and now he was paying for it.

As Quark walked onto the bridge, his bridge, Trier was already there checking the supply situation but he knew they were soon going to have a problem, being a bar tender had given he a natural sense for supply levels and the need to get more. Then Trier said her first words for three days

"We have a real supply problem Quark" she said in what to anyone else would have sounded like her normal tone but Quarks ears were far more sensitive than a normal humanoid and he knew Trier quite well. He could tell she was still angry but conversation was necessary.

"Don't you think I know that, we have rationed for as long as we can. We have two options starve here or take our chances out in space"

"But the engines are leaking plasma and we don't have a mechanic"

"I think I may be able to patch the plasma injectors, I learned a little from Rom and Nog you know. They aren't the only mechanics in this family"

"You really think you can fix them?" the magnitude of this announcement slowly sinking in

"Its better than sitting here slowly starving to death, either a chance at freedom or a quick death"

"That doesn't sound like you Quark, are you saying you would be happy to die?"

"Of course not happy but it's better than a slow death of starvation or being tortured to death in a dark cell by some Jem Hadar or Klingon. They are still searching for us you know and they would kill us both"

"Well when you put it like that it may be a good idea to put the past behind us and work together"

"Then lets get to work" Quark announced in his best positive voice but he had no thought of putting the past behind them.

With this conversation they both started working towards getting off the planet and hopefully gaining freedom. The old arguments couldn't be forgotten completely but they were pushed aside for now to get the hell off the planet. At least that's what they both wanted the other to think. Solitude hadn't treated them well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**4 Months Earlier**

Quark was staring at two of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen, a dabo table taking money and his newest dabo girl Trier, with her long black hair, long green legs and beauty a man would die for, she was only second to his own moon on the list of things he wished to possess. Now only was she beautiful she was a great dabo girl, she distracted all of the men, and befriended all the women, since she arrived profits from the tables were up 38. His moon was closer by the day and hopefully he would conduct business there with her at his side.

"Quark!" only the loud shout of Ro Lauren woke him from his day dream

"I'm sorry what can I get you ?"Quark replied in his tried and true voice for dealing with customers

"How about 40 metric tonnes of Recilium ore" she replied steadily

Quark once again thanked his lobes Odo was gone or he would already be in the holding cell by now

"40 tonnes of Recilium ore" she repeated in a sterner voice

Quark gave a small shrug and simply said "Recilum ore ?"

"Oh come on Quark you know very well what Recilium ore is and you also know that usually only the Orions use it in their ships. But this shipment wasn't for the Orions was it Quark"

"I really don't know" he replied still in his normal servile tone

"The shipment was the first goodwill gesture for the new trade agreement with the Laertes government who wanted the ore to try and design new more efficient engines using both anti matter and Recilium. Now their shipment has gone and it may threaten trade with the Laertians. Now i know you had something to do with it and i simply want the ore back no one will be arrested if the ore is returned"

Quark who in his few dealings with Ro Lauren had learnt that it was best to let her get out everything she wanted to say, so he had kept quiet but now he was ready to respond

"i have no idea what happened to the ore or who stole it. All i know is that it wasn't anything to do with me"

"Quark every theft on this station has something to do with you and I will prove it. Now where were you at 22.00 hours last night?"

"I was here in the bar from 8 yesterday morning until after 1 this morning. Running a business isn't easy you know"

"Any witnesses to prove you were here at 22.00 hours ?" she replied in a suspicious tone

"Well one or two people but they may not be trustworthy characters?"

"Who Quark?"

"There was Bashier and Ezri who were having a quiet meal upstairs from 8 until 11, Nog and Thane were at the bar with a couple of young Betazoids for most of the night, and Commander Kira came at half 9 to tell me that my request for a permanent docking permit had been approved"

"No one else how about a couple of admirals, the Kai or even the president of the Federation Council" she replied in a serious tone

"I didn't see them but it was quite busy, are they suspects because I may be able to recognise them you never know, if you need me for an identification I would be very willing"

"Oh shut up Quark, you know perfectly well who stole that ore now where is it?"

"Why would I want ore that can only be used by the Orions?"

"You have plenty of contacts in the syndicate"

"Not since you sent them all to prison, no one in the syndicate will deal with me, I'm lucky I wasn't killed over the stunt you pulled" some fake anger slowly rising in his voice "Now can you leave me alone to run my bar in peace"

Slowly Ro Lauren left still looking around the bar probably just in case Quark had hidden the ore under one of the tables. But the ore wasn't anywhere near the bar. Quark had seen to that, he made sure there was never any connection between him and the ore or the people who were stealing the ore. He had told Ro Lauren the truth about no Orions wanting to deal with him, but why did he need lots of Oriens taking a share of his profit when Trier knew every Orien captain in the quadrant and all of them seemed to want to do her a favour, she had such a hold over these supposedly powerful men, the skill she must have in bed.

Later after he locked up the bar he went into the back room where Trier was waiting for him. There they both entered their own half of the access code to their account. The ore profits were already waiting for them. The idea came to them a couple of months after Trier started working for Quark. One night after a long day they had split a bottle of slug brandy, a fine drink which for some reason very few species seemed to enjoy except the Ferengi and the Orions. But this was no ordinary bottle, it was royal reserve, 100 years old, the last of a case sent by his brother, the other 19 earned substantial profit. They talked and drank and soon both began boasting of their contacts and quite quickly the thought occurred to them that there was substantial profit to be made.

They came to the agreement that Quark would provide the initial capital and profits would be shared 60 40 in his favour because of this. Trier would use all of her contacts to produce as much profit. Trier being Trier demanded certain conditions on of them being neither had sole access to the account and that they would know when to stop. So they agreed that when the set amount was reached they would stop and go there separate ways. The set amount would allow Quark to buy his moon and continue up, it would also allow Trier to be free and do what ever she wanted. The latinum in the account was impressive and with the ore profits they were nearly half way to their target. Trier seemed happy at the progress of their venture but Quark knew that profit makes more profit and they needed to reinvest what they had earned to make more profit if he wanted his moon soon.

But for the next two weeks they would have to forget the account as Quarks brother Grand Nagus Rom was visiting to take part in a series of negotiations to form a permanent agreement between many races to provide mutual support in the case of another invasion bent on taking the alpha quadrant. Most of the quadrants powerful species would be here, so would representatives from some of the most powerful Gamma quadrant species to sign the Galactic Damage Treaty to defend against threats which could affect both quadrants. Both of these would protect against the Dominion rebels and the Borg.

But with every major security force in two quadrants having a presence on the station there would be no chance of getting away with any criminal activity, plus the contacts to be made were invaluable to future profit and the chance to buy his moon. Who knew he might even set up his moon in the Gamma quadrant as he did know the most about trading with the Gamma quadrant and with this treaty there was bound to be increased trade.

This would also be the first time in history the Orion syndicate was invited to this type of event, as they were becoming too powerful in the quadrant and had shown there first ever signs of wanting to become part of a mutual treaty, even the Orions lost profit in the Dominion war. This was making Quark step carefully and every precaution possible was being taken to prevent incident. There are many people who would want a shot at the Orion leaders and many people at the meeting the Orions would want eliminated.

With all the security crime was not only unwise it would be impossible, it also wouldn't be profitable as all trade traffic was suspended for the whole conference and only diplomatic or residents would be allowed on the station. No trade meant no cargo, which meant nothing worth stealing. Tomorrow Rom arrived, the prodigal son of DS9 had returned.


End file.
